‘Despacito’ was the biggest song of the year, so why wasn’t Daddy Yankee at the Latin Grammys?

Luis Fonsi accepts the award for record of the year for "Despacito" at the 18th annual Latin Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, in Las Vegas. Photo by Chris Pizzello

The video for “Despacito” has 4.3 billion views on Youtube. The song lasted 16 weeks in the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, tying with Maria Carey and Boy II Men’s “One Sweet Day.” It beat “The Macarena” for the longest lasting chart topper not in English. Thursday night, the song took home four Latin Grammys.

Daddy Yankee, who was in Las Vegas on Tuesday (but not for the Latin Grammys, apparently) told El Nuevo Dia that he was ready to turn the page on the song when asked why he wasn’t going to perform. “The reason is simple: Songs have their moment and have to evolve. That’s not to say we stop singing them, but a song like that (‘Despacito’), has to evolve, and in my case, that is what I think.”

But was there beef between Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi?

Apparently not. The reggaetonero confirmed that if he had an issue, we would all have heard about it on the airwaves. He told El Nuevo Dia: “I’m an urban artist and we like to have beefs. If there was some kind of problem, everyone would have found out about it in a lyric.”

But dang. Why leave Luis Fonsi hanging like that?

Turns out, Daddy Yankee wanted to move on from “Despacito” in the show, performing new songs. Since organizers were dead set on showcasing the song itself, he declined. “I would have wanted my show to lean toward something new, and since we couldn’t come to an agreement, I decided to turn the page this time.”

Rumors of a rift between Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi began in the summer of 2017, when Fonsi was named ambassador for a campaign for Puerto Rico’s tourism board. Daddy Yankee was not extended the same offer. In an interview with Primera Hora, Daddy Yankee expressed that he felt discriminated against because he interprets reggaeton, and not pop music.

For his part, Luis Fonsi remembered to thank Daddy Yankee when he received one of his four awards. “This is a team effort. Daddy Yankee, thank you so much for joining. You are big, Daddy Yankee.”

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Amy Reyes
is the Editor of Miami.com. She likes running and wine. In that order.